1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to outboard boat engine handling and storing and more particularly to an apparatus to which an outboard boat motor can be easily attached and stored by a person alone.
2. Prior Art
The use of outboard motors for recreational boating and also for some commercial boat applications has become so widespread that outboard motor units probably outnumber all other types of marine power units in the world. In the United States alone, there are several million outboard motors used by their owners for recreational purposes only.
One of the features of outboard motors which accounts for their popularity has been portability. The motor can be transported separately from the hull and both can be transported to a launching site. Unfortunately, outboard motors have grown in both weight and horsepower, so that the most popular motors currently in use weigh over sixty pounds, a weight which the average office worker or older man finds rather excessive for handling and transporting, specifically in the rear of an enclosed vehicle, such as a pickup truck.
It has been convenient for sportsmen to separate their boats and outboard motors for transporting. It is generally preferable to separate the motor from the boat during transporting to either protect the motor from theft and damage or, in some instances, the boat is stored on the roof of a vehicle, which requires that the motor be stored elsewhere than attached to the boat.
Storing the motor requires removal from the boat, generally by a person working alone, carried to the vehicle, lifted horizontally into position for storage and then secured in place to prevent movement during transport. Even in the event more than one person is available for this task, because of space it is impossible for more than one person to handle the motor when placing it in the back of a covered pickup truck or the like.
Serious physical injuries have resulted from a person moving an outboard boat motor horizontally while in a crouched position.
Examples of hand operated carts to accomplish outboard motor transport can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,745,673; 2,884,257; and 3,241,852. The examples of handling devices could not be successfully utilized for storing the motor within an automotive vehicle.